Vehicle



July-21, l1936. R, R WEBBER 2,048,580

VEHICLE Filed Aug. 20. 193A.

gmc/wm RaQyR.TV 512er,

Patented July 21, 1936 VEHICLE Ray R. Webber, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor of one. third to William Sullivan, Cleveland, Ohio Application August 20, 1934, Serial No. 740,681, 5 Claims.V (Cl. 214-38) 'I'his invention relates to improvements in vehicles and particularly to trucks or trailers used in transporting freight. or merchandise, which latter has been stored in containers.

The primary important object of this invention is to provide a vehicle of the above'character which is particularly adapted for handling merchandise packed in containers, the latter formlng the entire load or a unit thereof.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a vehicle of the Yabove character in which the load provides a vclosure for the bottom Yof the vehicle or a portion thereof.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a vehicle of the above character having a top, sides and an open body which is adapted to be backed over a load, the latter forming the bottom Wall of the vehicle.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a vehicle of the above character in which the load is stored and transported with a minimum of effort upon the part of the user.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a vehicle of the above character which is of simple construction, eicient in use and one which may be manufactured at a reasonable cost.

'Ihese and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the vehicle showing the latter partially backed over a loaded container,

Figure 2 is an end elevation of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a modied form of the invention as disclosed in Figure 1 in which the loaded container is being moved into the vehicle, and

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the modied form of the invention as disclosed in Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawing, A indicates generally a vehicle having a chassis I of substantially U-shaped construction when viewed in plan, thus providing front and side rails and having an open rear end. The chassis I is supported at its adjacent forward end upon the usual ground engaging Wheels 2, opposed pairs of which Y are connected by axles 3 extending transversely across the chassis. The rear of the chassis ad` jacent the open end thereof is supported upon each side thereof by ground engaging wheels 4 having stub axles received in sleeves 5, the latter constituting bearings for the stub axles. Mounted upon the chassis and extending from the rear end of the latter to a point spaced from the forward end of the chassis is a body 6 having a top I and Side walls 8. g

Mounted along each of the inner side faces of the vchassis I'alongv each of the sides thereof is an inwardly extending ange or support 9 secured to the chassis in any suitableY manner. It is to be particularly noted that the inner longitudinal edges of the flanges 9 terminate only a slight distance beyond the inner side faces of the chassis. Y Y

It will be seen from the foregoing that a vehicle Yis provided which has' a closed top and sides, and is further provided with an openV rear end and bottom, the latter being dened by the inner opposed Vedges ofthe longitudinally extending anges 9.V

In order to load a vehicle constructed in accordance with the foregoing description, a container B of substantially rectangular formation is elevated above the ground by means of the usual load elevating jacks C to a point slightly above the upper faces of the longitudinal flanges 9. Whereupon, the vehicle container B in the direction of the arrow as shown in Fig. 1, until the vehicle has completely enclosed the container B whereupon the latter is lowered by means of the jacks C until same engages and is supported along each side by the longitudinal flanges 9. The jacksk arethen removed and the load is'in a position to be transported.

In the modification of the invention as dis- ,closed in Figs. 3 and 4 the vehicle A is of the same general construction as disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, with the addition, however, of a frame I0 carried upon the chassis forwardlyV of the front end of the vehicle body 6. TheV frame I0 is adapted to support a cable drum II having the usual operating handle I2, disposed about the drum II is a cable I3, the free end of which passes longitudinally through the vehicle from the front to the rear thereof and is connected to the forward end of a wheeled elevating truck I4 lof any suitable construction, the latter being adapted to elevate and support a loaded container B.

In the operation of the modified form of the invention as disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4 the load B is elevated to a point above the longitudinally extending supporting flanges, whereupon the free end of the cable I3 is connected to the front of the truck and the drum is then turned in a direction to move the elevating truck I4 with its accompanying load into the vehicle A whereupon the elevating truck is actuated to lower the Y load until the latter rests upon the longitudinally A is backed o-ver the Y extending supporting ilanges. As in the case of Y the invention l f Y portation.V Y

Y or partial closure for the transporting vehicle,l depending upon the `length of A'the --econtainerfbe-f lao Y vehicle away from same In the novel form of the invention disclosedldt described in Figsnl and 2 the'jacks are removed and the load is then ready for trans- ;Itis to be particularly noted that with the oon- ?struction disclosed in the various figures of the drawing and the method of loading the vehicle, a loa/dedY container may be placed atany desired point inthe vehicle, so as to properly -equalize the load and balance the ,'vehicle. When'the load arrives at operation of elevating the load and is reversed.

its destination the is to be further particularly noted that aportion of the loadedV container gprovicles an -entire ing transported.` Y

It is .to be expressly understood that Yvarious the invention may be resorted odiflcations of 'I .to Within the spirit and scope Yof fthe invention Y Ythe container,

ask announced by 'the following claims,k 'thevariousaforms of the inventionrherein,described'be- Ving merelybyY way of illustration and are notwto thebottom of thejcontainer at `points-intermediate the container sides, then in positioning a medium of transportation trelative to the container so as to enclose .theeleva'ting media, and the sides of and .finally in :lowering vthe conmoving the Y Y and means to rotaterthe tainer onto the medium in'tran'sporting relation to the transporting medium. y f I 2. A vehicle of theA type set forth including load elevating means, a vehicle having traction means and having a load support on each side tl'iereoi.Y

the distance between the said supports being less Y than the width of the load and there being free space between said supports so Vthat upon rela-` tive movement between the vehicleland `the load the said supports will lie "below the bottomV of Vthe load and project inwardly of the sides thereof. and be enclosed by the sides of the` vehicle `whereby upon lowering of @directly seat upon the supports, and the bottom of the load will thereby form the bottom of the vehicle.

vling,containers ande-the like Vwhich resides in initially elevating the container to a predetermined position above Y against vthe bottom of the .container 4.atfjpoints intermediate .the slides thereof "then-:zin positioning :supports beneath? the rbottom Lof :the-icone tainer on oppositeisides ofthe latter landaout- Wardly tof the elevating f'rnedia, :lowering ythe con-Y tai-ner jnto :engagement withthe vsupports `rand nallyriin impartingfltractive'force to the sup-V ports to transport the container toits idestlnation. f

4. :A vehicle in accordance with@clairnz-2,:where-v in thebodyhas means for pullingtheeontainer .thereinto in elevated :position of the latten 5. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2,wl'le1 eV 1in :the body has pulling fmeans :formoving "the container :thereintdr which ,pulling means-consistszof a loable which operates through thefends the load the latter will the ground by exerting force Y20 .of Ithe body, a'drum vonrwhich thefcablezis wound Y drum e RAY a. WEBBER; 

